Game and game apparatus



May 10, 1938. 0. JAMES 2,116,500

GAME AND GAME APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 10, 1938. O JAMES 2,116,500

- GAME AND GAME APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1935' ZSheets-Sheet 2 Win MUM; D

Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The invention relates to games and game apparatus, and particularly to surface projectile games and apparatus such as have floor elements with pockets, and balls or marbles to roll on the floor and enter or engage in the pockets. It is a particular aim of the invention to present a novel game and apparatus for playing a new game in a new way.

Where a device of fixed structure is bought ordinarily, it is not long before the players of a family become so familiar with it that it has reduced entertainment and recreational value. Other game apparatus may be bought in such case, but this involves expense, and the bulk of 15 such separate apparatus is objectionable so that they are apt to be considered a nuisance, and few if any additional ones are available ordinarily in the average home.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to make it possible to have within the space of one ordinary game materials for playing a dozen or more different games, requiring different board details and different arrangement of pockets, and all adapted to be played within the boundary of the original article.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear in the structure, arrangement and combination of parts and their manner of function, as will appear from the following de- 30 scription and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view of a game board and frame constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a second game 35 board cooperative with the first one.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a third game board adapted to be used in conjunction with the first one alternatively.

Figure 4 is a cross section of Figure 1.

40 Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of Figure l,

the device being shown up-ended to accommodate the view.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top view of an upper board, modified.

45 Figure 7 is a detail horizontal section of the corner and rest.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan of a further modified top board.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross section on the 50 center of one of the pockets 44.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan of a score sheet.

There is illustrated a game apparatus consisting of a number of balls or projectiles l2, a rec- 55 tangular principal or first board or floor II], to

which are attached boundary walls ll circumscribing the floor and extending thereabove to a height about twice the diameter of the projectiles, balls or marbles l2 shown. The board l0 may be provided with legs l3 in proper number, if de- 5 sired. The board is elongated, the length being nearly twice the width, as shown.

The board I0 is provided with a central zone consisting of alternated transverse black and red bands l4 and I5 or other suitable contrasting 001- 1 ors, respective transversely spaced pocket apertures or pockets I6 and IT being formed in each of these bands in a checker-board relation, so that there are uninterrupted longitudinal rows E8 of apertures Hi all in black bands and similar alternate rows I9 of apertures ll, all in red bands. There may be more of the black bands and apertures than of the red bands and apertures, if desired, as shown, or vice versa. These apertures are of slightly less diameter than the balls I2 so that when one of the balls enters one of the openings the ball will be caught and held with a part projecting downwardly through the opening but with a major portion presented above the board I0.

In two of the red bands there are formed respective star-openings 20, around each of which a black star 2| is formed, these openings being designated Black stars. Likewise, in two of the black bands one opening 22 in each is surrounded by a red star 23, these openings being termed Red stars. More. or less of the bands may have such openings as discretion dictates, but it is preferable in view of their contemplated function that their number be at a minimum, as they are of an exceptional chance nature having a radical effect not desired to occur frequently. The black star openings referred to are in the present embodiment of the invention located in the first red bands next the transverse boundaries of the apertured zone of the board, and adjacent opposite sides of the board, while the red star openings are in the second black bands, and spaced a distance transversely inward of the red star openings. In the present instance there are eight apertures in each black band and seven apertures in each red band staggered with the black band openings. There are four black bands and three alternated red bands. In this way one black band is located toward each end of the board at the edge of the apertured zone. This arrangement and the lesser number of red bands insure much greater chances of entry of the projectiles into black band openings than into red openings, as will be understood hereinafter. The zone 24 in which the apertures are located occupies about one quarter of the total length of the board It], and being centrally located there are thus left fields 25 of substantial extent at each end of the board H] from which the projectiles may be played or projected. For this purpose, in one style of game, a number of balls would be apportioned equally to two opponents. In one method the player would place a ball at the outer part of the field back of a line 26, or on one of a number of recesses 21 marked on the board H], from which he would impel the projectile by a flick of the finger from the thumb, causing the ball to pass over the zone 24 and strike against the boundary wall at the far end of the device, from which the ball would rebound with less speed and come to rest in one of the holes in the zone 24. The black holes would count a certain number of merits while the red holes would count for a certain number of demerits or minus values to be subtracted from the positive values of the black holes. Lodgment in one of the red star holes 22 would involve cancellation of the value of all gains on black holes by the player of such ball on the particular turn in which such play occurs. Likewise, lodgment in one of the black star holes 20 would cancel losses in red holes I! on the same turn.

For playing the game Business, for instance, the board I8 may be used alone, with projectiles apportioned equally to player opponents. The black holes would represent profit, and the red holes losses, or debt. The black star would represent settlement of debt and would clear the slate of certain debt or all, applied to the player whose ball lodges therein. The red star catching the ball of a player would wipe out the profit or score of black holes made by the player in the same turn at play, or under other rules all profit or score made in black holes by such player. Seven rounds of play by each player alternately, using seven balls on each round, have constituted a game as practiced, one end of the field being assigned to each player, as described.

A score may be kept on a sheet 40 on which alternate red and black lines 4|42 are formed, and the sum totals in the black after the seven rounds would indicate the winner. The game may also be made more interesting by having certain black holes represent sales of certain amounts or numbers of articles, Export sale, New customer, Recorder, etc., while the red holes would be designated Advertising expense, Strike, Fire, Breakdown, etc., or other elemerits representing inability to supply goods and involving losses, or could be marked Bankrupt, or Bank failure, Bonds due, etc., indicating conditions which involve losses or exceptional expense.

For a Game of war played by use of the same single board with the zone of apertures described, the latter is then termed the Barrage Zone or No mans land. The black holes then represent shell holes aifording shelter to advancing troops and each marked to represent a given number of yards of advance, while some of the red holes represent shell holes, but marked Mustard gas and others are marked Shrapnel, Machine gun nest, Barrage, etc., and marked to represent loss of ground in a specific number of yards respectively. The black star holes then are marked Enemy retreats, Reinforcements, etc., and when a players ball lodges therein, cancel some or all red hole losses of that player; or they may be given the effect of cancelling gains of an opponent. The red star holes are marked Heavy barrage, Mine explodes, Major offensive, etc., cancelling gains made in the black holes.

The board it is preferably made with a slight clip from the ends toward the middle, so that no balls will remain on the field areas 25 when the device is set on a level surface.

At the corners of the boundary walls, at the inner sides, and also intermediately of the length of the respective side walls, there are brackets, steps, or rests 28 and 29, set midway of the height of the walls, the corner brackets being constructed as in Fig. 7, so that they serve as a reinforcement of the wall junctions at the corners.

The brackets are so shaped and located that the balls 12 may engage the walls ll thereunder without obstruction by the brackets, and project sufficientlyto support a removable field board or table 3H, which is one of a number provided, its size being such that it may set loosely within the walls ll so as to be easily removable manually, by being simply lifted out.

On this various games may be played according to what rules are adopted; or which one of a number of such boards is put in place. These boards are coordinated with the lower board I 0, by a modification of the count for pocketing of balls in the holes of the upper board, according to what holes they have lodged in on the under board. This enables introduction of a pleasing element of chance benefit into a game of skill, as will appear. When or if desired, the board 30 may be used for games independently of the board W, as will appear.

The board 30 is formed with a number of pocket holes 3l-32 located somewhat in accordance with the game of pocket billiards, there being respective holes 3! located in or closely adjacent the extreme corners and holes 32 closely adjacent each longitudinal edge of the board, midway of the length, while if desired, similar end wall pockets or holes 33 may be located close to the end edges and midway of the width of the board. The board. 30 is preferably stiffened by backing ribs of proper location and direction to make the board rigid, or it may be thickened sufficiently to obviate the need for such ribs.

Both the board in and the one 30 are preferably made of some hard, readily moulded or stamped material such as pressed pulp-board impregnated with synthetic or other gum or cementive material, or sheet metal, and would preferably be faced with rubber or fabric, or both, at 55, in order to eliminate objectionable noise. By forming the bottom board and walls integrally of pressed metal, or other material, and facing the inner surfaces with rubber as at 3!, the rebound action indicated would be assured in addition to assuring quietness.

Partly around the pocket holes 3!, 32, 33, raised crescent shaped ribs, shoulders, or stops 36 may be formed at the outer sides of the holes, serving to stiffen the material at the outer sides of the holes, and also to function as fenders to guide balls into the pockets if moving toward the pockets with reasonable accuracy, as well as preventing balls from rolling into the pocket holes when moving along close beside the walls H. In using thev board 30, a number of pocket balls 31 are grouped in close contact centrally of the board, and a. larger play ball 38 or one of the same size and heavier material is used, after one manner of use, although the play ball may be of the same size and weight as the play balls, if desired. In order to facilitate placement of the play balls they may be arranged in a good geometrical design at 3t, centrally of the board or one end portion, and if considered advisable, a slight recess or indentations corresponding to the proper placement of the play balls may be formed in the board 30, although if a fabric top facing is utilized such indentation will not be required. One game with the top board 3i! would be similar to that of pocket billiards, and there would also be a possibility of numbering the play balls similarly. If desired, the play balls may be made smaller than the ones 52 and a temporary cover of card-board or other material laid over the board ll! while the small balls are used on the table 353. It is thought preferable to have the play ball and pocket balls of the same size, however, and also the same size as the balls l2, so that the pocket balls will be retained without the need for covering the holes of the board In playing a game with the table 30, as mentioned, the balls are grouped as stated, and the play ball of one player laid on the table distant from the placed balls, and he then propels this ball across the intervening space to the placed pocket balls, endeavoring to cause at least one to enter one of the pocket openings in the board 3%. The two or more opponents then take turns at play, using their own respective play balls 38, until all the pocket balls have been entered in the various pocket openings 3!, 32, 33, or until a major count has been obtained by one side.

The balls passing through the side pockets 32 will fall within the zone 24 of the board l0, and enter various holes in that zone. The count made by the players upon the value of the pocketing of the balls may be qualified by the sum of the count in the holes I6 and I1, either adding to or subtracting from the pocket score according as the value is positive in the black bands, or negative in the red bands, as before indicated. In this way, the players will endeavor to get most of the balls into the corner and end pockets so that they Will have a greater chance of entering the black holes, as will be understood, the latter forming the first or outer row on each side of the zone 24. By the use of the two boards in coaction, the board 3!] serves together with the side walls It to conceal the balls as they become adjusted in the pockets of the bottom board, adding a pleasing element of uncertainty to the outcome of a players turn, by being left in place until all or a certain number of the balls are pocketed.

In Figures 3 and 9 an alternative top table 43 is shown, Without pockets at the ends, but having a series of pockets 44 and 45 in staggered relation at each side and when in place located respectively over the outermost holes of the black and red bands of the lower board or table it. One of the holes 45 will thus be over the black star hole 20 at each side. In this device the play balls 3'! may be used in any proper number framed as before indicated at 39, and the play ball 38 used to move them by carom action (the same with the board 38), the endeavor being to move them into the pockets M or 45, according as it will profit the player in his score. Thus, respective sets of the framed balls may be colored distinctively and the two or more sets assigned to respective players. Each player will then endeavor to place the balls with his color in the pockets 44, and to propel the balls with opponents colors into the pockets 45 excepting the one over the black star hole, which would give the opponent an offset for any balls of such opponent caught in theholes IS. The spacing of the board 43 over the board ill, and the size of the pockets 44-45 is such that when one ball 31 has entered one of the pockets it willso rest in the hole thereunder that. another ball will not pass entirely through the pocket, as shown in Figure 9 so that the element of chance is eliminated after the balls pass into one of the pockets of the board 43,. This makes a game in which there is greater opportunity for assured benefit from skillful playing. Both in this form and others where a group of balls is framed as in Figure 2 and Figure 3, there may be a greater number of balls than illustrated if desired, either to such number as used in playing pool or pocket billiards, where fifteen are used, or a still greater number.

In Figure 6 a further modification 46 of removable board is shown for use similar to that intended for the board 30, but gutters ll are formed in the board radial from the pockets, with raised sides 48, which may be raised above the general level of the board or otherwise, so that a ball so propelled as to move in a general direction reasonably close to the pocket will be caused to enter it by being caught and guided by the gutters. This will make the game easier.

In Figure 8 a still further modification of such a board is shown in which enlarged openings are provided as side and intermediate end pockets 49 formed in a board 50, which may be otherwise the same as the board 30 or 46, if desired.

The corner pockets 3! are made the same size as in the board 30, because by reason of the location the side walls of the device may aid in directing a ball into such pockets more than in the pockets 49.

If desired, the backing ribs 36 of Figure 2 may be utilized in the boards 46 and 50, back of all pockets.

In any of the games where the auxiliary upper board is used at theend of a players turn the balls may be removed by lifting the upper board out for the moment. The pocket holes in the boards afford also good finger holds for lifting them.

It will be noted that the holes in the boards intended to be placed on the brackets 28 are few in number and spaced differently from the pockets in the board l0, and that the major central portions of these upper boards are without apertures. Consequently the space thereunder is darkened, and these boards, together with the walls II, serve to conceal the board I!) and projectiles thereon until the upper board is lifted. The openings in the upper board permit insertion of the finger to lift the board.

I claim:

1. In a game of the character described, surface projectiles, a game-board having a boundary wall, said board having pockets therein to receive the projectiles and hold them removably, said boundary wall having step supports on the inner sides thereof spaced from the said board more than the diameter of the projectiles, and a second game-board shaped to fit loosely within said boundary wall and to rest on said step supports, and having pockets of a diameter greater than that of the said projectiles spaced differently from the said pockets of the first board and principally located out of alinement therewith, whereby the first named board and projectiles thereon will be concealed by the second named board and boundary wall, said first named board having surfaces inclined so that projectiles dropping through the second named board will roll to said first named pockets randomly.

2. A game of the character described comprising a bottom board having a multiplicity of pockets therein the board parts around which are characterized to distinguish them in value effect, bounding walls around the bottom board, a removable planiform horizontal table piece conforming to and shaped to fit loosely within said walls, means to support the table piece in spaced relation to the bottom board, said-walls extending above the table piece, said table piece having a plurality of openings therethrough fewer in number than said pockets and spaced differently whereby the table piece darkens the space thereunder and with said walls conceals the said bottom board and pockets, and projectiles of a size to pass freely through said openings in the table piece and between the said'bottom board and the table piece.

3. A surface hand projectile game comprising an upper planiform horizontal board and a lower board, a continuous wall bounding both, a plurality of surface projectiles, said upper board having openings therethrough adapted to receive and pass the projectiles therethrough by manual projection, whereby a game of skill is constituted, said lower board having a plurality of projectilereceiving pockets therein, the material of the lower board around the pockets characterized to indicate different value effects whereby a projectile passing through one of said openings of the upper board will by chance entry into one of the pockets of the lower board affect the score attained by the skill of a player manifest on the upper board.

4. Apparatus for games of the character described comprising a spherical surface projectile, an upper board having a boundary wall and at least one aperture of a size to receive the projectile entirely therethrough, and a lower board having a central multiple pocket zone and inclined portions whereby projectiles passing through the upper board will be caused to roll into said zone, the pockets in said zone being very closely spaced and multiplied to minimize the chance of the projectile coming to rest without entering an aperture in the lower board and being respectively characterized to impart value to entry of a projectile thereto, said wall and upper board being constructed to conceal the lower board and projectiles thereon.

5. A game of the character described comprising a plurality of spherical projectiles, an elongated board having a boundary wall and a multiplicity of pockets to receive the projectiles arranged in a central zone extending the full width of the board and having opposite end portions continuous with said zone constructed to permit the projectiles to be rolled thereon from either end of the board, the pockets being very closely spaced to minimize the chance of a projectile rolling across the zone without entering a pocket, the edge material around each of said pockets being characterized distinctively, the greater part of the several characterizations being in two principal classifications of great contrast and in groups of a kind, certain other characterizations being distinct from the said principal classifications, and at least two being distinct from each other, and located in respective groupings of the said principal classifications.

6. A surface projectile game device consisting of a lower game board having a continuous bounding wall, said board having projectile engaging elements constituting a game value means, a plurality of surface projectiles, a plurality of supports on said wall and a second game board set removably upon said supports spaced above the first board to permit'fre'e movement of said projectile on the first board beneath the second board and whereby the space between the two boards is closed by the wall, and whereby the first'board and projectiles thereon are concealed by the wallv and second board until removal of the second board, said second board being so formed and 'having' openings therethrough to pass the projectiles arranged to constitute with said projectiles a game of skill.

' OWEN JAMES. 

